Housing for washers having a horizontal cylinder



March 7 1950 wlDlGEN 2,500,108

HOUSING FOR WASHERS HAVING A HORIZONTAL CYLINDER 144 star/ "400 65/7 IN VEN TOR.

434M Ci ai/L A. F. WlDlGEN 2,500,108

HOUSING FOR WASHERS HAVING A HORIZONTAL CYLINDER March 7 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 21, 1946 NW Mm N INVENTOR.

Marc 7, A, F, wlDlGEN 2,500,108

HOUSING FOR WASHERSHAVING A HORIZONTAL CYLINDER Filed Oct. 21, 1946 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 A; aewr A m a! 64-77 INVENTOR.

ma 6114a Patented Mar. 7, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HOUSING FOR WASHERS HAVING A HORIZONTAL CYLINDER Application October 21, 1946, Serial No. 704,616

Claims. 1

The invention relates to clothes washers of the commercial type having a horizontal shell within which a perforated cylinder revolves.

More especially the invention provides an improved housing which retains the usual horizontal shell containing a perforated cylinder revolving therein in conjunction with novel end sections which support the washing section and house the accessory apparatus.

The operation of washers requires the use of a number of accessories which include a driving motor, a drive connecting the washer to the cylinder, hot and cold water inlet valves, a cabinet housing the electrical control equipment for the motor, a dump valve, and an automatic cylinder reversing mechanism. At present these accessories are either attached to the outside of the washer proper or to the wall of the washroom. These accessories are liable to accumulate dirt and filth and their presence is unsightly preventing the maintenance of the washroom in ood order.

It is the object of the invention to provide a self-contained housing which encases these accessories as well as the cylinder.

It is a further object to provide a washer having a central cylindrical section in which the washing is done and two end sections which both serve to support the central section and the revolving cylinder and also provide separate spaces for the electrical control for th water valves.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a washer shell which has hollow ends that support the cylindrical shell and U-shaped longitudinal hollow stifieners on the cylindrical shell extending from one hollow end to the other to provide a tunnel through which electrical control cables may be run.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a semicylindrical washer shell supported on hollow end posts and. a semicylindrical cover extending over both the end posts and the semicylindrical washing section.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section of the washer shown in elevation in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a cross section along lines 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a cross section along lines 4-4 in Fig. 2.

l indicates a semicylindrical shell. The ends of this shell are closed by walls 5, B which are preferably circular metal plates which extend to the top of the semi-cylindrical top shell 4.

Thus a space adapted to contain a bath for washing is created. 2 and 3 indicate generally rectangular hollow supporting ends which are adapted to support the cylindrical shell in a manner to be described. 4 indicates a semicylindrical top of the shell which extends both over the washing shell I and the end posts 2, 3. This top section 4 may carry an upward sliding door 3 I moving in the suitable guides carried by the shell through which access may be had to the inside of the shell. A base plate 34 forms the bottom of supporting ends 2, 3.

While the central section I may be directly carried by th inside walls I8, IQ of the supporting ends 2, 3 it is preferably carried on a structural steel frame generally indicated at 8. This supporting frame may consist of inclinedstructural angles to which a top cap 9 is welded. The ends 5, 6 of the central section may be fastened to the legs of the structural angles forming frame 8. The top cap 9 is adapted to carry pillow block [0 in which the cylinder is supported. Thus the weight of the cylinder and the shell are independently transmitted to the structural steel frame forming a part of the end posts. The weight is carried by these frames to the base plates 34 which are attached to the foundation supporting the washer.

Supported on the pillow blocks I0 is a cylinder I6. This cylinder has side sheets 20, ribs 2| and a door 22. This door may also be of the sliding type guided by tracks supported by the cylinder. The end sheets 25 of the cylinder carry short shafts 15, ll'.

One of these shafts 15 carries a driving pulley 26. V-belts passing over this driving pulley extend to a motor 2'! having a pulley 28 located toward the rear of the washer. The driving mechanism, generally speaking, occupies the inside of the hollow supports 2. The electric cables supplying current to the motor may be carried through stiffening ribs 39 which have a dual function. They serve to stiffen the cylinder I longitudinally, and they act as conduits permitting all of the electrical control mechanisms to be concentrated in the other supporting post 3.

The washer shell I is provided with a drain outlet 32. This outlet may have a downwardly extending flange 33 and this may be closed by a flexible diaphragm 35. This flexible diaphragm 35 may be supported on a cup-shaped housing 36 suspended from the bottom of the shell by suspension bolts 31. When the diaphragm is elevated the bottom of the shell is closed and when the diaphragm is allowed to collapse water may fiow out through opening 32 and sideways over the top of the diaphragm 35 through openings 23. To avoid splash the entire discharge valve may be surrounded by a guard 38 suspended from the bottom of shell I. This concentrates the stream emerging from opening 2Q. A pipe 40 extends from the inside of housing 36 into supporting post 3. As shown in Fig. 2, liquid may be fed into pipe it through a vertical pipe M and may be drained out by open- H ing a solenoid valve 42.

The motor control switches and the motor switch reversing mechanism are all contained in a box ll supported in end 3. The cables from this box extend through hollow rib 3% to the motor in the other leg. Connecmd to the bottom of cylinder l by a, pipe 13 is a vertical well 12. This well contains a float, not shown, connected to a cable [4 which passes over a pulley indicating the depth of water in the shell. The shell is providedwith hot and cold water inlets 43, 44. These lead to a solenoid controlled mixing valve 55. This valve forms the subject of pending application Serial No. 522,265 filed on February 14, 19%, now Patent No. 2,479,177, Aug. 16, 1949.

The mixed hot and cold water passes through a conduit 58 and enters the washing area through a flangeSl carried by'the end head 6 of the washing section. The supporting end 3 may also contain mechanism designed to bring the cylinder to a stop with the cylinder door and the shell door in alignment, This mechanism includes a cam 45 carried by the shaft ll. This cam may coact with a control switch 46 supported in the end 3. In the operation of the water it is necessary to start and stop the motor; to control the operation of valve 42 which determines the opening and the closing of the dump valve and to open and close the inlet valves 33, 44. All of these operations are controlled by switches mounted on the outside of the washer in a panel 4%? set into th surface of the washer.

It will appear that the construction described provides a compact washer in which the washing section is supported on hollow end posts which both serve to support the central section which contains the water and to provide a convenient surrounding enclosure for all of the accessories. It is also evident that the entire top section 4 may be removed giving access to the interior and permitting a new cylinder to -be placed in the machine.

I claim:

1. A washer having, in combination, a rotatable horizontal cylinder adapted to contain the clothes to be washed and having supporting *shafts projecting at each end, a structural supporting frame in a plane normal to the shaft located at each end of the cylinder, a bearing carried by each frame to support one of said shafts, an open semi-cylindrical tank into which the cylinder dips which is independently supported between said frames, plate circles forming the ends of the semi-cylindrical tank, holes through the center of said plate circles through which said supporting shafts project, sheet metal vertical housings of rectangular section each housing enclosing one of said frames and hav- 'ing a contour on one side of each rectangular housing which'fits the tank. end, an inverted semicylindrical shell forming the top of the houslugs and the tank.

2. A washer having, in combination, a rotatable horizontal cylinder adapted to contain the clothes to be washed and having supporting shafts projecting at each end, a structural supporting frame in a plane normal to the shaft located at each end of the cylinder, a bearing carried by each frame to support one of said shafts, an open semi-cylindrical tank into which the cylinder dips which is independently supported between said frames, plate circles forming the ends of the semi-cylindrical tank, holes through the center of said plate circles through which said supporting shafts project, sheet metal vertical housings of rectangular section each housing enclosing one of said frames and having a contour on one side of of each rectangular housing which fits the tank end, an inverted semi-cylindrical shell forming the top of the housings and the tank, a motor for driving the cylinder located within one housing and connected to one of the shafts of the cylinder.

3. A washer having, in combination, a rotatable horizontal cylinder adapted to contain the clothes to be washed and having supporting shafts projecting at each end, a structural supporting frame in a plane normal to the shaft located at each end of the cylinder, a bearing carried by each frame to support one of said shafts, an open semi-cylindrical tank into which the cylinder dips which is independently supported between said frames, plate circles forming the ends of the semi-cylindrical tank, holes through the center of said plate circles through which said supporting shafts project, sheet metal vertical housings of rectangular section each housing enclosing one of said frames and having a contour on one side of each rectangular housing which fits the tank end, an inverted semicylindrical shell forming the top of the housings and the tank, a water supply valve located in one of said housings, connections from the valve to the end of the tank which projects into that housing, control means for said valve also located in the same housing.

4. A washer having, in combination, a rotatabl perforated horizontal cylinder adapted to contain the clothes to be washed and having supporting shafts projecting at each end, a structural supporting frame in a plane normal to the shaft located at each end of the cylinder, a hearing carried by each frame to support one of said shafts, an open semi-cylindrical tank into which the cylinder dips which is independently supported between said frames, plate circles forming the ends of the semi-cylindrical tank, holes through the center of said plate circles through which said supporting shafts project, sheet metal vertical housings of rectangular section each housing enclosingone of said frames and having an contour on one side of each rectangular housing which fits-the tank end, an inverted semicylindrical shell forming the top of the housingsand the tank, a motor for driving the cylinder located within one housing and connected to one of the shafts of the cylinder, a water supply valve located in the other housing, connections from said valve to the end of the tank which projects into that housing, means for controlling said valve also located in that housing, a hollow reinforcing rib on the washer tank extending from one housing to the other, control cables extending from the motor drive in one housingto the other housing, a single control station located in the latter housing and adapted to operate both the valve and the motor control.

5. A washer having, in combination, a rotatable perforated horizontal cylinder adapted to contain the clothes to be washed and having supporting shafts projecting at each end, a structural supporting frame in a plane normal to the shaft located at each end of the cylinder, a bearing carried by each frame to support one of said shafts, an open semi-cylindrical tank into which the cylinder dips which is independently supported between said frames, plate circles forming the ends of the semi-cylindrical tank, holes through the center of said plate circles through which said supporting shafts project, a hydraulically operated valve on the lower side of said tank for discharging its contents, sheet metal vertical housings of rectangular section each housing enclosing one of said frames and having a contour on one side of each rectangular housing which fits the tank end, an inverted semi-cylindrical shell forming the top of the housings and the tank, a motor for driving the cylinder located within one housing and connected to one of the shafts of the cylinder, a water supply valve located in the other of said housings, connections from the valve to the end of the tank which projects into that housing, a branch from said REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date D. 136,552 Miller Oct. 26, 1943 427,775 Logan May 13, 1890 1,327,756 Dudley Jan. 13, 1920 1,458,254 Thompson June 12, 1923 2,058,278 Watson Oct. 20, 1936 2,320,713 Brotman June 1, 1943 

